Larry Brown named coach of Pistons

AUBURN HILLS, Mich., June 2 (UPI) -- Veteran basketball vagabond Larry Brown, known for switching jobs in a heartbeat, Monday was named the new coach of the NBA's Detroit Pistons.

His hiring came just 48 hours after the team announced the firing of Rick Carlisle.

Brown, 62, resigned as Coach and Vice President of Basketball Operations of the Philadelphia 76ers last Monday. Surprisingly, he was freed from a clause that prohibited him from coaching another team before his contract expired.

"I think his credentials are unquestioned and his track record is unquestioned," said Detroit General Manager Joe Dumars, who told the New York Times before the hiring that Brown was the perfect guy to come in and establish a string base. "He's already in the Hall of Fame, and my personal feeling is that he is the pre-eminent coach in the league."

He gave up the final two years of his deal with the 76ers, worth $12 million. Now, he reportedly will get a five-year, $25 million deal from Detroit.

"I don't know how I wound up here to be honest," Brown said at news conference Monday afternoon. "It was just a week ago that I announced I was resigning. I didn't know what I was going to do, but we started to hear from a lot of teams and there were a lot of wonderful opportunities out there. Actually, it took one conversation with Joe (Dumars) and (Vice President) John (Hammond) and one other conversation and it was finalized on Saturday."

Ironically, his season was ended by Carlisle and the Pistons, who beat Philadelphia in six games in the Eastern Conference quarterfinals, marking the first time an NBA coach will take over a team that eliminated him from the playoffs the previous season.

"It's hard for me to sit here after we went through a series with Detroit, and I admired Rick for what he did with this team," Brown said. "I'll try to build on what Rick did. I'm sure many people will recognize the job he did here and give him an opportunity."

Brown spent six seasons with the Sixers, his longest tenure with any team in his 31 years of coaching. Nicknamed "Mr. Fix-it," the Hall of Fame coach turned a sagging franchise into a perennial contender.

There has been speculation that Brown left the 76ers because he tired of dealing with star guard Allen Iverson.

His success with the Sixers had been turbulent because of a tumultuous relationship with Iverson, who showed up just 30 minutes before tip-off, but had 38 points and nine assists, in Philadelphia's series-clinching Game Six loss to Detroit on May 16.

"I know I was at practice on time and even for the games," Brown said when asked about Iverson. "You know, Allen's like my son. There are going to be days you're going to love him and there are days he's going to give you heartache, but I'm proud of what he accomplished."

Brown spent six seasons with the Sixers, his longest tenure with any team in his 31 years of coaching. Nicknamed "Mr. Fix-it," the Hall of Fame coach turned a sagging franchise into a perennial contender.

In Detroit, he will coach a team of overachievers that won 50 games under Carlisle each of the last two seasons.

The Pistons were swept in four games by the New Jersey Nets in the Eastern Conference finals, but much will be expected from Brown with the team owning the second overall pick in the June 26 draft. Detroit is expected to select either 7-footer Darko Milicic or Carmelo Anthony of Syracuse.

The team's young nucleus features Ben Wallace, Richard Hamilton, and Chauncey Billups. Brown, known as one of the game's premier teachers, will be counted on to develop players such as Tayshaun Prince, the team's first-round pick in 2002, and Mehmet Okur.

"Joe has constructed one of the top young rosters in the league," Brown said. "I have never inherited a team with a winning record, so this is a new thing for me. This franchise has everything anyone could be looking for. It will give me the greatest opportunity I've had to make a difference. The future for this team is very promising and I look forward to being part of the success."

"Getting to the NBA Finals will not be the litmus test (for Brown)," Dumars said. "We just want to make sure players are getting better each year, but, sure, we would like to challenge for the championship next year."

Brown's brother, Herb, also coached the Pistons, guiding them to back-to-back playoff appearances before being fired during the 1977-78 season. Larry Brown also was courted by the Houston Rockets and Washington Wizards.

Enshrined in the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2002, Brown is the only coach in NBA history to lead six different teams to the playoffs. He has over 1,000 wins in the ABA, NBA, and the college ranks, but has never won a pro title.

His resume also includes stints with the Denver Nuggets, Indiana Pacers, San Antonio Spurs, New Jersey Nets, Los Angeles Clippers, and the ABA's Carolina Cougars.

He also spent five seasons at Kansas, winning the NCAA title in 1988, and coached at UCLA for two years. His crowning achievement in Philadelphia came in 2001, when he was named NBA Coach of the Year after guiding the Sixers to the NBA Finals for the first time in 18 seasons.

In 1997, Brown took over a floundering franchise in Philadelphia. After going 31-51 in his first season, he built the franchise into a contender and amassed a 255-205 record with the Sixers, including five straight playoff appearances.

Overall in 20 seasons as an NBA coach, Brown has compiled a mark of 879-685. His career record as a coach is 1,285-853.

Brown also has a busy summer ahead. He will coach Team USA in the Olympic qualifying tournament in Puerto Rico this August, when the U.S. will compete to win a spot in the 2004 Olympics.

As a player, he was a member of the 1964 gold medal U.S. Olympic basketball team.

"I hope I can be a part of this franchise for a long time, and I hope this can be my last stop," Brown said.